What Is Jihad?

Many people outside Islam think they know what jihad means – "holy war," they’ve been told by pundits or reporters. And, in part, they’re right … but that’s not the whole story.

Many people outside Islam think they know what jihad means – “holy war,” they’ve been told by pundits or reporters. And, in part, they’re right…but that’s not the whole story.

Jihad can mean “holy war,” or more correctly, “struggle,” – but the struggle doesn’t have to be with those outside Islam. In fact, jihad is something that often focuses Muslims inward.

There are actually two jihads – the Lesser and the Greater Jihad. The lesser jihad is actually the one most people are familiar with – “holy war.” But the Qur’an cautions Muslims against fighting unnecessarily. War is to be waged as a defensive measure, not an offensive one.

The more important jihad is the Greater Jihad. It is an inner struggle for Allah – a struggle to be a better person – in this sense pursuing a degree can be seen as jihad.

But jihad can also been seen as a struggle to improve society – although Gandhi was not Muslim his struggle for Indian independence can be considered this kind of jihad.

On a religious level, Jihad is an attempt to find harmony among the ideas of submission to Allah, faith and righteous living.

The above commenter shows their ignorance and bias on this issue. "Jihad" is a complex topic in Muslim jurisprudence and juridical texts. Many times it has a martial connotation, but many times it does not. There is nothing about "jihad" conceptually that requires killing, in direct contradiction to jatt4lyfe's claims.

RA

"There is consensus amongst Islamic scholars that the concept of jihad will always include armed struggle.." Wikipedia entry on Jihad.

jatt4lyfe

AND MAHATMA GANDHI'S STRUGGLE WAS NOT A "JIHAD" HE DIDENT KILL TO ACQUIRE INDIPENDACE, HE USED PURELY SKILL AND WISDOM. WHAT JJINAH DID WAS A JIHAD, CAUSED DEATH AND DESTRUCTION ALL OVER PUNJAB.

jatt4lyfe

Jihad is a parasite if you ask me. It uses its followers to attach sikhs and hindus all over this world. Now youngsters in UK will Cite Jihad and it will mean the ending of multicultralism because they are trying to covert us and a new war against terrosism